Israel to Extend Daylight Savings Time

Israel's cabinet has approved extending daylight savings time to October 1.

By Gabe Kahn.

First Publish: 7/5/2011, 5:12 PM / Last Update: 7/5/2011, 6:23 PM

Israel's Cabinet has approved extending Daylight Saving Time in 2012.

The unanimous decision extends Daylight Saving Time from the Friday of the last week in March to the first Sunday after October 1 for the calender year 2012.

The move was recommended by an advisory committee commissioned by Interior Minister Eli Yishai of the Sephardic-haredi Shas Party.

The committee was established after the issue came to a head last summer when the clocks were changed in mid-September due to Yom Kippur falling early in the fall.

Religious groups have traditionally called for the return to Standard Time to take place before Yom Kippur so that the fast ends earlier.

They also note it is difficult to change the clocks later than early October because sunrise comes too late to allow observant Jews to participate in morning prayers before they must go to work.

"Extending daylight savings time will promote better coordination with Europe's economic clock, extend daylight hours, and save electricity and resources for the Israeli economy," said a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

Adopting daylight savings time – and when to adjust the clocks – has been a perennial point of contention in Israeli political life.

This year DST is also set to end on October 1, which religious observers note falls before Yom Kippur.